Message from your Board President Dear Marriott s Aruba Ocean Club Owners: It is truly an honor to serve you and I am committed to keeping your home away from home one of the best resorts in the Caribbean and within the Marriott Vacation Club network. I strongly believe that together, the Board of Directors, Finance Committee; Erwin Noguera, General Manager; Lillian Britten, Director of Rooms Operations and their teams, we will continue to succeed in providing you and your families an unparalleled vacation experience every time you come back to your home resort. At the 2016 Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors and Management recognized the following outgoing members for their contributions and years of service to the association. Mr. Joseph Joe Folisi served both on the Finance Committee from 2008 to 2013 and the Board of Directors from 2013 to 2016. Another long standing committee member was also recognized for her dedication and service to the Association, Mrs. Melissa Pericolosi. Melissa served as a Board member from 2007 to 2013 and on the Finance Committee from 2013 to 2015. Both Joe and Melissa were given picture plaques as a token of appreciation. I would like to welcome Mr. Irwin Cohen elected to the Board at the Annual Meeting. He started to serve as Secretary/Treasurer beginning May 20, 2016. Mr. Irwin Cohen is excited to serve our Association appreciative of being elected to the Board. I would also like to welcome, Mr. William Bill Newton who was selected by the Board of Directors to replace the outgoing Finance Committee member that served the Association for several years. Your Board of Directors as of May 2016 are: Office Term Aris van Bijsterveldt President 2015-2018 Andrea Allen Vice-President 2016-2019 Irwin Cohen Secretary / Treasurer 2016-2019 Anthony Ferraro Director 2015-2018 Paul Ryan Director 2015-2018 Since your feedback is extremely important, I want to stay in touch with you. Do not hesitate to share your ideas and comments by email or during the Owner meetings held on Tuesdays at the resort s pool deck. You can send your comments and suggestions to the Board of Directors at the following email address: aoc.ownerboard@marriott.com I thank you all and I am committed to serving you. Aris van Bijsterveldt Board President (Term 2015-2018) Aruba Ocean Club Owner s Website, Board Member, Andrea Allen, continues to update the Aruba Ocean Club website (arubaoceanclub.com) with the latest news in the Hot Off the Press section or under the News tab. Updates on the 2014 Soft Refurbishment, meeting minutes, questions and answers, Owner Updates and more are available. The website is unique as it allows Aruba Ocean Club Owners a simple and easy way to list their villa for sale, rent or trade. By dealing directly with fellow Owners, you can avoid high sales and rental commissions charged by Marriott and brokers. Please note: This website is managed and paid for by the Association and does not represent Marriott Vacation Club.
FALL 2016 NEWSLETTER On my third anniversary as your General Manager, I am proud to continue serving as your General Manager along with our amazing associates. Your resort operations team is extremely proud of the accomplishments in 2015 and the first half of this year. We completed important resort enhancement projects, energy conservation projects and have seen increased Owner satisfaction. I am appreciative of the teamwork that exists between our resort management team, the Board of Directors and Finance Committee. It is my pleasure to share the following updates about your vacation home in Aruba. Recently completed Renovations and Replacements Recently the most anticipated upgrade to the resort s Wi-Fi infrastructure and related systems was completed. This project has improved signal strength and coverage throughout the resort and the beachfront. All cabling and related systems were replaced to the most current standards to provide you with the level of speeds expected at any Marriott Vacation Club resort. The playground equipment was recently replaced with a wonderful pirate themed ship. Kids visiting the resort have enjoyed the new playground which is conveniently located near the barbeque grills so that parents can grill while the kids can play on the new playground equipment, which also includes a swing. LCD high definition televisions were replaced with larger size television screens in each villa for your viewing enjoyment: 49-inch screen in the living room and 43-inch screen in the master bedroom and in the guest unit (lock-off). In mid-august, the project to convert each villa thermostat to a smart thermostat was completed. A smart thermostat will better manage the temperature in each villa during the daytime when most occupants are away from the villa enjoying the beautiful outdoors. The system is currently providing a daily average reduction ranging from 3% to 5% in electrical consumption. One key item to note is that a motion sensor will manage set back temperatures of two degrees from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. After 5:00 p.m., villa occupants will have full control of the temperature to ensure comfort. Another feature Owners requested is that the air conditioner in the villa shut off automatically when the sliding doors are left open. The system s wireless communication allowed for easy installation during the project. The system s features allow for real-time air conditioning control, diagnosis and monitoring, instant room occupancy status detection, Internet web-based remote management, simple integration with the resort s property management systems, network outage and maintenance alerts, accurate data for measurement, verification and reporting. In addition, all large capacity motors used on major mechanical equipment used in the facility were replaced with the newest and most efficient motors available in today s market. Along with the new motors, motor speed controller devices widely known as variable frequency drives (VFDs) were purchased. Combined, these efficient motors and controllers allow the building automaton system to regulate their usage base on demands resulting in a more efficient use of electrical usage.
In Progress and Upcoming Renovations Due to unforeseen delays, the original start date of the façade waterproofing/painting was moved from July to September 26, 2016. We anticipate all villa façades waterproofing/painting be completed by December 15, 2016. Drip edges will be added at all balconies during the project to help reduce drip marks that build up on the walls below. The addition of the drip edges will help to maintain appearance of the façade moving forward. We appreciate your support and understanding during the execution of this project if you are staying with us during this timeframe. The new, accessible hot tub and lounge area that opened in January of this year will be enhanced by year end with additional furniture and shade umbrellas. Owner feedback on this enhancement continues to be well received and appreciated. The second phase of pathway lighting was recently completed throughout the walkways at the resort including area lighting and landscape features as well. Look out for these enhancements on your next visit. Energy and Water Conservation Efforts With the recent completion of the installation of smart thermostats in the villas and the purchase of efficient motors along with controllers, consumption is trending with a 10.0% reduction when compared to the same time last year. In the appendix presented on the last page of this Newsletter, you will find a list of energy conservation projects that were presented by the Resort Operations team, supported and approved by your past and present Board of Directors. At the end of Second Quarter, the expansion to the building management system to have better control and overview of both energy and water usage was completed. For water conservation efforts in the villas, 311 water-saving toilets with a high-efficiency flush using 1.6 gallons per flush will be installed. The new toilets will help save water when compared to the existing 3.5 gallons per flush toilet in the villas. The new toilet commode is engineered at a taller than standard height for additional comfort. This project will be executed and completed before year end. Beach Policy Update The government s vision and reason for implementing the Beach policy in 2016 is to widen the white beach area and provide more areas for walking, exercising and play between the water line and the first row of beach huts, referred to as the open strip. The government s intention is to enhance the beach and manage the beach experience for those using the beach and provide access to emergency vehicles when needed. Management has participated in meetings with the governmental department in charge of implementation of the policy. During these meetings, we expressed our concerns, and Owner concerns, with some areas of the policy. Currently, there is still not a lot of clarity regarding many details of the policy and we are waiting for those items to be clarified. The beach policy was originally drafted in 2013 and remained in draft form until July of 2016. The 2015 Fall Newsletter provided a link to the website of the Department of Infrastructure that has the beach policy available for viewing. Management was advised by the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, known on Aruba as D.I.P., that implementation of the entire beach policy should take place by year end. The Resort Operations team will review and discuss the policy with the Board of Directors at the October 2016 Board Meeting. We will continue to navigate through the policy during the upcoming months. An update will be included in the next Newsletter.
2016 Annual Meeting The 2016 Annual Meeting was held at Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino Resort on May 20, 2016. The meeting minutes will be available for viewing on the Association managed website (www.arubaoceanclub.com). At the 2016 Annual Meeting, Andrea Andi Allen, A-member, was re-elected for another term, and Irwin Cohen, A-member was also elected; Paul Ryan, B-member was re-elected for another term. Board of Directors Updates The next Board of Directors Meeting will be held on October 13, 2016. Opportunity to Serve on the Board of Appeals At the next Annual Meeting, Owners will elect one member to serve on the Board of Appeals. Any Owner desiring to become a candidate for election to the Board of Appeals must complete a Volunteer Form and submit it to the Association. Volunteer Forms must be received by December 2, 2016 to be considered. Election for the Board of Appeals will take place at the 2017 Annual Meeting. To conclude, your opinion truly guides everything we do, and we would love to hear from you. We can only provide the kind of personalized service you ve come to expect from us with your continual input. Please remember to complete the online Guest Satisfaction Survey after your stay with us. We want to know exactly how we made a positive impression, and what we can do to make your visit even more memorable. We also want to recognize and reward our associates when they go above and beyond to ensure your satisfaction. Most of all, we use your comments to constantly improve our operation so we can continue to deliver unforgettable experiences that make your vacation dreams come true. We look forward to welcoming on your return at your home away from home at Marriott s Aruba Ocean Club! Sincerely, Erwin C. Noguera General Manager Marriott s Aruba Ocean Club
Green Projects APPENDIX Energy and Water Conservation Efforts Percentage Description of Savings Year Completed Pay Back Corridor Outside Air Conditioning System capacity reduction of 40% accomplished by (exchanging) energy from colder bathroom exhaust air to incoming fresh air Revolving Doors Lobby Low Flow Shower Head Rain Shower Type Waterless Urinal LED Lighting Corridor to Villas LED Lighting in Villas Cooling Tower Fan Speed Demand Control Open Loop Motor Speed/Water Flow Control Closed Air Conditioning Cooling Loop - Energy Efficient Motor with Variable Frequency Drive (Motor Speed / Flow Controller) Smart Thermostat Reduction in capacity of the corridor air conditioning system by utilizing heat wheel technology for efficiency of corridor and cool fresh air for both corridor and villa Lobby would get warm during heavy check-in days. No additional air conditioners needed, kept existing, improved comfort in main lobby Reduce shower flow from 3.5 gallons per minute to 2.5 gallons per minute Urinals used 1.5 gallons per flush prior to waterless Lower wattage LED lamps replacing halogen, incandescent & fluorescent lamps Lower wattage LED lamps replacing halogen, incandescent & fluorescent lamps Reduction of cooling fans speeds during low heat load conditions, motor running at lower speeds during night time hours when 100% speed not required Reduction of motor speeds/flow from 100% down to 90% Reduction of electrical usage by reducing speed to 83% instead of 100% Features: 1. When sliding door is open, the air conditioner turns off 2. Motion control for daytime hours only 3. From 5:00 p.m. until 9:59 a.m., villa occupants control the thermostat 40% 2009 3 to 4 years 25% 2011 4 years 40% 2014 3 months 100% 2014 1.8 years 28% 2014 2.2 years 57% 2014 2.2 years 20 to 30% 2014 6 months 10% 2016 7 months 17% 2015 5 months 25%- 35% August 2016 3 to 4.5 years